Today we’d like to introduce you to Sashauna.
Hi Sashauna, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I went to a private school in elementary and on Wednesdays, we would have chapel. When I was in second grade, I saw the choir perform for the first time and I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. After chapel, I immediately went to my music teacher and told her I wanted to join. Sadly, she told me I would have to wait a year until I joined the choir. A year later, it was on sight. Within the first couple weeks of school starting again, I told my music teacher that I wanted to join the choir. From there, she started putting me in solo competitions and even made me perform a solo in front of the school even though I begged her to not make me do it. Fast-forwarding to fifth grade, my mom told me for middle school that I would have to go to public school because we couldn’t afford private school anymore so I auditioned for the middle school of the arts in my city (Palm Beach). Once I told my music teacher what I was going to do she made me feel like I couldn’t achieve it. She asked me if I was sure because it was a hard school to get into… wild. Good thing I was a hard-headed when I was a child because I made it my mission to prove to her that I could get in, and I did.
From there, I went to the high school of arts and basically, up until my first year of college, I was singing classical music. I loved classical music until the end of my junior year of high school. During this time period, I came across SZA’s music for the first time. The first song I heard of hers was “Teen Spirit” and it literally changed my life. I felt the rawness, pureness and vulnerability and that was everything I wanted to portray to in my own music but just didn’t know-how. (Thank you SZA). Once I discovered Teen Spirit then Ice Moon, it was really f*ck classical music at the point. It was eye-opening and life-altering. I still have a special love and respect for classical music but it wasn’t for me anymore. At that point, I ventured off into jazz music and to be honest, I did not have enough confidence for it yet. I would even skip jazz class because it made me so anxious. I struggled to get out of my comfort zone and out of my head and even now, I still struggle with it. Once I graduated high school, I went to UCF and finally wrote my first verse to the ending of PRBLMS by 6lack. From there was the start of my journey as an artist.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would definitely say that it has not been a smooth road. Pursuing what you love that is outside of society’s standards of a stable job will always be a difficult path. The biggest struggle for me is living in my head. I always viewed myself as a moth instead of a butterfly because I always felt that people needed more time to see the beauty in me and in what I create. Maybe that was me projecting my own insecurities on everybody else, who knows. I tried to portray myself as a butterfly at first but it only hindered me musically and took a toll on my mental health to be honest. I would fight with myself to create music that I knew everybody would like versus creating music that I knew was true to me. This internal battle made it hard for me to not overthink everything I create and everything that goes with it because in my mind, I am my music and my music is me so I wanted people to love it. Essentially the side of me that told me to stay true to myself always won but it didn’t become an easy choice until I accepted and loved myself fully. Along with accepting me for who I was, I had to engrave within me to create for myself and keep my intention pure because it will resonate with who it needs to in the end.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a singer/songwriter and mainly write alternative RnB music. I am known for singing and my nonprofit Everybdy Eats which is a community fridge project based in Orlando. I am most proud of my determination and musical growth. It’s not easy pursuing a creative passion and even though at times I wanted to give up, I kept it pushing and made sure I achieved and will achieve each goal that I set for myself no matter how long it will take. I’m also proud of my musical growth that I’ve seen from myself in these past couple of years. I started from writing one verse to a 6lack song that I recorded on Snapchat to now creating pieces of music with structure, harmonies and emotions. I would say what sets me apart from other artist would be my lyricism and my voice. It took me a while to accept the way I write and how my voice sounds but it is definitely what makes me unique.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I like about our city is the different opportunities there is to express yourself and grow within your craft. The open mics in Orlando have helped me overcome so many fears, brought me opportunities and allowed me to meet so many beautiful and dope artists in the city. The creative scene is so beautiful here because there are so many different people, different styles and different sounds. What I like least about the city would be that I think that the city of Orlando deserves more eyes on it. There is so much talent here and beautiful people that we should be known for more other than Disney.
Contact Info:
- Email: sashmckain@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sashaun.a/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/yungsashyy
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5x0zDRCcIWmPRO1ZSdmnLq?si=MdEGg842SrCSDldm6QiUvg
Image Credits
Aiysha Azula Joel Rivera
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